This invention relates generally to security for items of personal property and is particularly directed to a system and method for assigning and recording an individual property owner code for each member, permanently marking each member""s personal property items with this code, and storing all of the member codes in a computerized system connected to a global information network.
A need exists for a centralized, universal system for maintaining ownership information for items of personal property. This need is particularly evident in business and industry, where expensive tools and machines essential to the operation of a business are subject to theft and conversion. Marking personal property with indicia identifying the owner is common. However, there is currently no available universal system for marking personal property items which uniquely identifies and, to a certain extent, locates the owner of the property. Moreover, there is currently no central clearing authority which issues indicia uniquely identifying the owner of an item of personal property and also records and stores this information in a manner which is easily accessible to anyone regardless of where that person resides or is located. Finally, a centralized personal property security registration system facilitates the transfer of ownership by using a single database which is easily updated and universally accessible to provide real time ownership information.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing a personal property security system and method therefor which provides for the centralized recording and storage of ownership information relating to personal property items as well as to the permanent marking of ownership indicia on the item. Ownership indicia includes information relating to the state and county of residence or location of the owner, as well as a membership number in the personal property security system which uniquely identifies the property owner.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for marking personal property in a manner which uniquely identifies the property owner.
It is another object of the present invention to mark items of personal property in a manner which uniquely identifies the owner using a marking code which also identifies the state and county of residence or location of the owner.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a personal property marking code uniquely identifying the property owner as well as the property owner""s state and county of residence or location which is recorded and stored at a central location and is available on a global information network.
This invention contemplates a system for identifying an owner of an item of personal property comprising: coded indicia uniquely identifying the owner, the coded indicia comprising: a first portion identifying a state of residence or location of the owner; a second portion identifying a county of resident or location of the owner; and a third portion assigning the owner a unique membership number in the system;
a marker for applying the coded indicia to the item of personal property; a memory for storing the coded indicia at a central location for future reference; and a global information network coupled to the memory for making the coded indicia available on a worldwide basis.